Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-04-01
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.

The legislature met on Wednesday last
and the Governors message was promptly
read to it. Of necessity it deals in a repe-
tltion of much that our readers are already
familiar wlth-the history Of the debt, the
action of the courts, and the like. which
we omit. We copy those portions bearing
on the debt question as 1t stands to-day
and his own views about it.:
THE INABILITY OF THE STATE TO PAY MORE AT
THE PRESENT RATE OF TAXATION.
From the statements carefully prepared by
the Auditors, it appears that the annual reve-
nues for some years to come will not exceed
$4,000, 600, and that if the outstanding obi
cations Of the State should be, funded into
bonds under the Riddleberger bill, except
those held by institutions of learning, the in
terest to be paid, added to the necessary an
nual expenses, would about absorb this in.
come. The inability of the State to make
settlement now with greater amount of prin-
cipal and interest than the Riddleberger act,
whatever she might have done once, arises
from an increase in her annual expenses, such
as maintaining two additional lunatic asylums,
one for the white and one for the colored; the
maintenance of normal and collegiate insti-
tute for our colored people, and school for
the education of our colored people, and a
school for the education of our female teach
ers; aid to the Confederate Home for our poor
and disabled soldiers. over whose shoulders
rests no mantle OF governmental protection;
assistance to citizens of the State who have
lost limb, or an eye, or have been seriously
disabled by wounds. to prevent them
from performing manual labor, and whose
wounds grow more burdensome with the in
crease OF years; the increased expenses Of our
criminal charges since the abolition of the
whipping post, and the increased appropria-
tions to our public schools. These are some
of the necessary obligations incurred, while
in the same period the State taxes have been
reduced from fifty to forty cents on the one
hundred dollars.
THE STATE NOW TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE.
Att giving history of the interior
erce the Fedora! Courts, the Governor
says:
Let us change the position and let the Com
monwealth take the initiative. This can be
done by instituting suit to recover the taxes
and giving the tax payer day in court to
prove his coupons to be genuine and to make
good his tenders. He should not object, for
in making the tender he assumes the RESPONSE
bility of the genuineness of the coupons, and
this affords him an opportunity of proving it.
therefore have the honor to recommend
the passage of an act providing that all taxes.
hacludiag tares on licenses now due or which
may become due hereafter to the Common
wealth in payment of which any paper or in
strnment purporting to be a coupon detached
from Il bond of this State, shall have been or
may hereafter be rendered and not accepted
as payment and not otherwise paid, may be re-
covered in the Circuit Court having jurisdic-
ton over the county Or corporation in which
said taxes shall have been assessed; or if the
tender was made to the Auditor of Public Ac-
counts in payment of taxes which he is author
lied by law to receive, the said taxes may be
recovered in the Circuit Court of the city of
Richmond, the courts to have jurisdiction
without regard to the amount of taxes claimed
and though the amount be less than twenty
dollars, and If the defendant fails in his de-
fence and the taxes claimed are found to be
due the State, there shall be judgment for the
Commonwealth for the aggregate amount of
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